Clint Trickett: Everything You Need to Know About West Virginia's New QB

Clint Trickett: Everything You Need to Know About West Virginia's New QB

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In just a few months' time, Clint Trickett went from being a Florida State Seminole to the potential starting quarterback at West Virginia.

The son of a former WVU coach, Trickett made an interesting round-trip journey from Morgantown to Tallahassee and back.

There is plenty Mountaineer fans need to know about the player who may be their starting quarterback, including that he hasn't even won the starting job yet, despite being a fan favorite.

Head coach Dana Holgorsen released the official depth chart at the conclusion of fall camp with Trickett listed as the co-starter along with returning junior Paul Millard, as seen on the team's official website.

Who He Is

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Height: 6'2"

Weight: 180 pounds

Position: Quarterback

Year: Redshirt junior

Clint Trickett graduated from Florida State in three years and transferred to WVU in May with two years of eligibility remaining.

He is the son of former WVU and current FSU offensive line coach Rick Trickett.

Path to Stardom

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Clint Trickett spent much of his childhood in Morgantown, W.Va., while his father, Rick, was the offensive line coach at WVU from 2001-2006.

In 2007, Rick Trickett joined the coaching staff at Florida State, and Clint went on to play high school football at North Florida Christian in Tallahassee. He was a 247Sports composite 3-star prospect in the class of 2010 and chose FSU over Arkansas, Louisville, Pitt, South Florida and others.

After redshirting his first year for the Seminoles, he had a strong first season on the field while backing up and filling in for the oft-injured EJ Manuel in 2011. The following season, Manuel stayed healthy and Trickett's on-field opportunities diminished.

In two seasons in Tallahassee, Trickett accumulated 947 passing yards, while throwing seven touchdown passes and four interceptions.

Manuel then left for the NFL draft after the 2012 season, leaving Trickett locked in a battle for a starting position with redshirt freshman phenom Jameis Winston. Though FSU wasn't near a decision, Trickett decided to leave shortly after Winston's breakout performance in the team's spring game.

After considering Auburn and South Florida, Trickett decided to go back to Morgantown.

As detailed by Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail, Trickett had long since been planning a return to WVU, a process that included an extra load of course work that enabled him to graduate early.

Upon arrival, Trickett found himself locked in another battle for a starting job, this one with Paul Millard and Ford Childress.

The three remained equal for much of fall camp, but Trickett's experience appears to have vaulted him over the top. The media was twice treated to a full scrimmage during fall camp, with Trickett running the first-team offense on both occasions.

When it comes to the quarterback position, leadership, poise and attitude are just as important as arm strength and accuracy.

Key Games

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Trickett and the Mountaineers will be faced with an enormous test in Week 2 on the road against one of the Big 12's best programs in Oklahoma.

Just two weeks later, WVU will face its toughest non-conference test against rival Maryland. That game will be key for building momentum going into a rough Big 12 slate that begins with two of the favorites to win the conference in Oklahoma State and Baylor.

After a bye week, five straight conference contests follow, a stretch that features consecutive games against TCU and Texas, two more serious Big 12 title contenders.

What Others Are Saying

He's a smart kid, he's a bright kid and he's very intuitive. He's got a good feel for the game, which is going to put him in position to be able to beat out guys that have been taking snaps in our offense for the past two to three years. It's a credit to him that he's in the race.

He’s a confident kid. You typically get that when it’s a coach’s kid. That’s one of the deals we look at when we recruit quarterbacks is if a kid is a coach’s kid he’s probably going to have a little different air to him as far as confidence, knowledge of the game and stuff like that. They’re raised a little different so they’re wired a little different.

Media

Allan Taylor of WV MetroNews after Trickett's first practice in Morgantown:

The stringy guy in the No. 9 jersey didn’t seem confused or timid. Clint Trickett’s first practice at West Virginia only validated what coach Dana Holgorsen expected when he brought in the transfer from Florida State.

Teammates

Redshirt freshman quarterback Ford Childress, via Nick Arthur of WVUSports.com: "He has a lot of experience and knows what he is doing. He has played in big games and has been through three years of college football, so he is a good guy to be around."